the beacon - october 2012

10
C HRISTOPHER Ogden, one of the Abbey’s most distinguished alumni, has travelled to 140 countries and reported during the terms of six American presidents. He also came to give an Elizabeth Seton lecture for the school last Friday. He summarized a few of the high points of his career, describing some of the most inter- esting people he had interviewed, stating, “This fed into my belief that it is people who make history, not the other way around.” He argued that each of these notables had been considered outcasts or misfits in their community at some point in their life. Ogden graduated from Yale and began his re- porting career in London before becoming a foreign correspondent in Moscow for Time Magazine. There, he met Alexander Solzhenit- syn, a dissident from the Soviet Union. Odgen described how he had to hide the notes from the interviews underneath his clothing as se- cret police officers surrounded the house and harangued him when he exited. Solzhenitsyn gave these interviews under the promise that they would be held secret until he gave Ogden permission; in fact, he was using the interview with Time as a safety measure in case he was arrested again. However, Ogden pointed out, Solzhenitsyn later became a vastly influential novelist and Nobel Prize winner. Ogden then described his first trip to Beijing, right after the death of Mao Zedong. He de- scribed the visible differences and power strug- gle between Deng Xiaoping and Hua Guofeng. In the 1980s he returned to London where he worked with Margaret Thatcher, whom he admires as one of the world’s best political leaders. He spoke admiringly of the way she became Prime Minister in a political world dominated by men. She came from the lower middle class and became a “modern day medi- evalist who fought like a knight” for the causes she believed in. He also described the meteoric rise of Singapore under the rule of Lee Kuan Yew. Yew’s Confucian principals and style of government became a model for other rising countries. Lastly, Odgen relayed his interviews with Nelson Mandela, who peacefully transi- tioned South Africa into a democracy. Mandela controversially chose to learn about his oppo- nents and negotiate with them. Ogden finished by telling the school not to judge the misfits or oddballs in the group, as they sometimes make huge differences because they dare to be dif- ferent. Later, he gave an exclusive interview to the Beacon. When asked what part of his Abbey education helped him the most when inter- viewing and writing about such famous and unique people, he responded, “How to read . . . how to think independently, and not to sim- ply parrot what I have been told.” He contin- ued, “too many people of my generation, and of every generation, tend to think, ‘Well I can get by if I know just enough, and if it’s only the teacher’s knowledge, he’ll give me a good grade on the test.’ That’s not learning.” He also gave advice specifically for the student journal- ists: “Research your subject and, before you go in, think, ‘What do I want to learn from this person?’” Mrs. Ogden, who sat in with the in- terview, added that one value that has always been important to him was being against pla- giarism— you should never copy someone else’s work out of laziness, because “you are doing yourself a disservice.” Ogden agreed, “We are all individual thinkers, we think differently and react differently; this is why people follow different political parties. So if someone tells you this is how you should think about something, you should say ‘Not necessarily,’” When asked how journalism had changed with the internet, he mentioned the rise of anonymous sources. “You should really fight anonymity on these things. People hide behind anonymity and it’s not good. Most politicians ask for things they say to be off the record (that’s what I loved about Marga- ret Thatcher – she never asked that) and every time you agree to that, you lose integrity.” If your sources ask you to go off the record, try and get them to say something that can be put on record. Mrs. Ogden also stressed the impor- tance of great editors: “Chris always says it’s a very difficult thing to write 300 words; it’s a lot easier to write a thousand.” Mr. Odgen added, “It’s very hard to write tight, but it is very im- portant to write tight, and most of all, you have to think tight.” Portsmouth Abbey School 285 Cory’s Lane Portsmouth, RI 02871 (401) 683-2000 www.portsmouthabbey.org THE BEACON OCT 2012 ISSUE 1 FALL ISSUE Islamic Protest By Eden Franz Staff Writer R ECENT aggression from Islamic protest- ers directed against United States embas- sies throughout the Middle East and Africa has prompted an examination of the motivations and methods behind this violence. In Cairo on Sep- tember 11 th , protesters tore down the American flag from outside the consulate and replaced it with an Islamic flag, and the following protests injured over two hundred people and killed one. The attack on the American consulate in Benghazi took place on the same day; for nearly five hours, the proclaimed terrorists pummeled the embassy with rocket-propelled and hand grenades, assault rifles, gun trucks, and mortars. Four Americans were killed in the attack, including J. Christopher Stevens, the U.S. Ambassador to Libya. Several days later, protesters in Yemen and Tunisia sur- rounded and even set fire to the local American consulates, with four deaths in each country in addition to nearly a hundred injuries between the two incidents. A total of seventy-nine people died in September as a result of these protests. Originally, investigators cited the recent up- load of anti-Islamic videos on YouTube as the main motivation for the violence. Chunks of vid- eo, roughly fifteen minutes long, were first put on the Internet in the beginning of July and showed trailers for a film entitled The Innocence of Mus- A t six-and-a-half years old, Dom Julian began his life as a Roman Catholic by being baptized in a church in Oxford, Eng- land. His father had recently converted from the Church of England, and gave his son a choice: to be baptized as a Roman Catholic, or to remain an Anglican. He freely chose to be baptized as a Catholic. It was in that same sacristy, almost nineteen years later, that Fa- ther Julian was ordained a priest. Looking back at his sixty years as a priest—and sixty-nine years as a monk here at Portsmouth—at Downside Abbey and Worth Priory (now Worth Abbey) in Oxford, England, Father Julian remarked very strong- ly on one thing. Before becoming a priest, he was convinced that after hearing confession, he would “feel like a sewer.” However, after giving out many a ‘Hail Mary’ and ‘Our Fa- ther’ he was overwhelmed by the exact oppo- site feeling: his singular impression from the priesthood has been the overwhelming good- ness of the human spirit. People’s confessions of their sins, for which they are truly repen- tant, lead him to the belief that the human spirit is truly tenacious in goodness and love. With little space to be wasted, the monks’ rooms lack any frivolous effects. Father Ju- lian’s room is no exception. An Orioles base- ball cap and an ancient desktop computer sit on his desk, and he can often be found typing at the old console. An avid poet, Father Ju- lian’s own poems, in a collection titled There Shines Forth Christ, are floating around sev- eral locations here on campus. He has also written books of prose: one on Benedict’s Rule, and another co-authored on leading a Christian life of love. Fluent in Italian, Fa- ther Julian has translated a few books from their Italian prose, but loves best Dante in the original. With such love for the written word, it makes sense that Dom Julian loves to tell stories, as any Abbey student who has heard one of his homilies knows. Arriving here at Portsmouth in September 1943, he knew both Dom Leonard Sargent, the founder of the monastery, and Dom Hugh Diman, the founder of the school. With many stories of driving Father Hugh to his sister’s house in Providence for Sunday lunch, and quite a few of him as headmaster of both Portsmouth Priory and Diman Vocational in Fall River, Massachusetts, Father Julian seems never to run out of history. The monas- tery farm, its workers, and the old monks who sat in the same church we do today evoke nostalgia in the hearts of anyone who hears their stories. At first, they sound like any old Christian tall tale with a glaring sense of mo- rality, but as they go on, they become more and more relatable, until you realize that they are much the same as the stories we like to tell today. Sitting down with Father Julian after Sun- day Mass was at first quite daunting. The task of interviewing this man, who has had such a long history here at Portsmouth, was cer- tainly an intimidating one. However, after we sat under the huge beech next to the church, I began to feel that I was not talking to a set of vestments on a mannequin. There is so much more to Dom Julian than the green surplice and the glasses on a string. Walking away af- ter a half hour, I felt like I had gained quite a bit more than what I brought to the table. Like all the monks, Father Julian leads a quiet life. He represents for us one of the most endearing traits of the Abbey: the timeless fusion of the old and new. Even with Chase pulling into the back of the dorms, internet in Study Hall, and Tuck Dances, the Abbey somehow still retains a sense of order in its oldest traditions. The monks are still here, and we all go to church on Sundays. Father Julian may have arrived here over half a cen- tury ago, but he is still a person—he just has more stories to tell than we do. Now it’s just up to us to ask for them. Dom Julian By Doug Lebo Staff Writer Cont’d Page 3 SUMMER TRAVELS PAGES 2-3 FAREWELL TO ST. BEDES PAGE 4 NEW TO THE ABBEY PAGE 8 Christopher Ogden By Julia Slupska Staff Writer

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The Beacon is Portsmouth Abbey School's award- winning, student-run newspaper.

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Page 1: The Beacon - October 2012

Christopher Ogden, one of the Abbey’s most distinguished alumni, has travelled to

140 countries and reported during the terms of six American presidents. He also came to give an Elizabeth Seton lecture for the school last Friday. He summarized a few of the high points of his career, describing some of the most inter-esting people he had interviewed, stating, “This fed into my belief that it is people who make history, not the other way around.” He argued that each of these notables had been considered outcasts or misfits in their community at some point in their life.

Ogden graduated from Yale and began his re-porting career in London before becoming a foreign correspondent in Moscow for Time Magazine. There, he met Alexander Solzhenit-syn, a dissident from the Soviet Union. Odgen described how he had to hide the notes from the interviews underneath his clothing as se-cret police officers surrounded the house and harangued him when he exited. Solzhenitsyn gave these interviews under the promise that they would be held secret until he gave Ogden permission; in fact, he was using the interview with Time as a safety measure in case he was

arrested again. However, Ogden pointed out, Solzhenitsyn later became a vastly influential novelist and Nobel Prize winner.Ogden then described his first trip to Beijing, right after the death of Mao Zedong. He de-scribed the visible differences and power strug-gle between Deng Xiaoping and Hua Guofeng. In the 1980s he returned to London where he worked with Margaret Thatcher, whom he admires as one of the world’s best political leaders. He spoke admiringly of the way she became Prime Minister in a political world dominated by men. She came from the lower middle class and became a “modern day medi-evalist who fought like a knight” for the causes she believed in. He also described the meteoric rise of Singapore under the rule of Lee Kuan Yew. Yew’s Confucian principals and style of government became a model for other rising countries. Lastly, Odgen relayed his interviews with Nelson Mandela, who peacefully transi-tioned South Africa into a democracy. Mandela controversially chose to learn about his oppo-nents and negotiate with them. Ogden finished by telling the school not to judge the misfits or oddballs in the group, as they sometimes make huge differences because they dare to be dif-ferent.Later, he gave an exclusive interview to the Beacon. When asked what part of his Abbey education helped him the most when inter-viewing and writing about such famous and unique people, he responded, “How to read . . . how to think independently, and not to sim-ply parrot what I have been told.” He contin-ued, “too many people of my generation, and of every generation, tend to think, ‘Well I can

get by if I know just enough, and if it’s only the teacher’s knowledge, he’ll give me a good grade on the test.’ That’s not learning.” He also gave advice specifically for the student journal-ists: “Research your subject and, before you go in, think, ‘What do I want to learn from this person?’” Mrs. Ogden, who sat in with the in-terview, added that one value that has always been important to him was being against pla-giarism— you should never copy someone else’s work out of laziness, because “you are doing yourself a disservice.”Ogden agreed, “We are all individual thinkers, we think differently and react differently; this is why people follow different political parties. So if someone tells you this is how you should think about something, you should say ‘Not necessarily,’” When asked how journalism had changed with the internet, he mentioned the rise of anonymous sources. “You should really fight anonymity on these things. People hide behind anonymity and it’s not good. Most politicians ask for things they say to be off the record (that’s what I loved about Marga-ret Thatcher – she never asked that) and every time you agree to that, you lose integrity.” If your sources ask you to go off the record, try and get them to say something that can be put on record. Mrs. Ogden also stressed the impor-tance of great editors: “Chris always says it’s a very difficult thing to write 300 words; it’s a lot easier to write a thousand.” Mr. Odgen added, “It’s very hard to write tight, but it is very im-portant to write tight, and most of all, you have to think tight.”

Portsmouth Abbey School 285 Cory’s LanePortsmouth, RI 02871(401) 683-2000www.portsmouthabbey.orgTHE BEACON

OCT 2012 ISSUE 1FALL ISSUE

Islamic ProtestBy Eden FranzStaff Writer

reCent aggression from Islamic protest-ers directed against United States embas-

sies throughout the Middle East and Africa has prompted an examination of the motivations and methods behind this violence. In Cairo on Sep-tember 11th, protesters tore down the American flag from outside the consulate and replaced it with an Islamic flag, and the following protests injured over two hundred people and killed one. The attack on the American consulate in Benghazi took place on the same day; for nearly five hours, the proclaimed terrorists pummeled the embassy with rocket-propelled and hand grenades, assault rifles, gun trucks, and mortars. Four Americans were killed in the attack, including J. Christopher Stevens, the U.S. Ambassador to Libya. Several days later, protesters in Yemen and Tunisia sur-rounded and even set fire to the local American consulates, with four deaths in each country in addition to nearly a hundred injuries between the two incidents. A total of seventy-nine people died in September as a result of these protests.

Originally, investigators cited the recent up-load of anti-Islamic videos on YouTube as the main motivation for the violence. Chunks of vid-eo, roughly fifteen minutes long, were first put on the Internet in the beginning of July and showed trailers for a film entitled The Innocence of Mus-

At six-and-a-half years old, Dom Julian began his life as a Roman Catholic by

being baptized in a church in Oxford, Eng-land. His father had recently converted from the Church of England, and gave his son a choice: to be baptized as a Roman Catholic, or to remain an Anglican. He freely chose to be baptized as a Catholic. It was in that same sacristy, almost nineteen years later, that Fa-ther Julian was ordained a priest.

Looking back at his sixty years as a priest—and sixty-nine years as a monk here at Portsmouth—at Downside Abbey and Worth Priory (now Worth Abbey) in Oxford, England, Father Julian remarked very strong-ly on one thing. Before becoming a priest, he was convinced that after hearing confession, he would “feel like a sewer.” However, after giving out many a ‘Hail Mary’ and ‘Our Fa-ther’ he was overwhelmed by the exact oppo-site feeling: his singular impression from the priesthood has been the overwhelming good-ness of the human spirit. People’s confessions of their sins, for which they are truly repen-tant, lead him to the belief that the human spirit is truly tenacious in goodness and love.

With little space to be wasted, the monks’ rooms lack any frivolous effects. Father Ju-lian’s room is no exception. An Orioles base-ball cap and an ancient desktop computer sit

on his desk, and he can often be found typing at the old console. An avid poet, Father Ju-lian’s own poems, in a collection titled There Shines Forth Christ, are floating around sev-eral locations here on campus. He has also written books of prose: one on Benedict’s Rule, and another co-authored on leading a Christian life of love. Fluent in Italian, Fa-ther Julian has translated a few books from their Italian prose, but loves best Dante in the original. With such love for the written word, it makes sense that Dom Julian loves to tell stories, as any Abbey student who has heard one of his homilies knows.

Arriving here at Portsmouth in September 1943, he knew both Dom Leonard Sargent, the founder of the monastery, and Dom Hugh Diman, the founder of the school. With many stories of driving Father Hugh to his sister’s house in Providence for Sunday lunch, and quite a few of him as headmaster of both Portsmouth Priory and Diman Vocational in Fall River, Massachusetts, Father Julian seems never to run out of history. The monas-tery farm, its workers, and the old monks who sat in the same church we do today evoke nostalgia in the hearts of anyone who hears their stories. At first, they sound like any old Christian tall tale with a glaring sense of mo-rality, but as they go on, they become more

and more relatable, until you realize that they are much the same as the stories we like to tell today.

Sitting down with Father Julian after Sun-day Mass was at first quite daunting. The task of interviewing this man, who has had such a long history here at Portsmouth, was cer-tainly an intimidating one. However, after we sat under the huge beech next to the church, I began to feel that I was not talking to a set of vestments on a mannequin. There is so much more to Dom Julian than the green surplice and the glasses on a string. Walking away af-ter a half hour, I felt like I had gained quite a bit more than what I brought to the table.

Like all the monks, Father Julian leads a quiet life. He represents for us one of the most endearing traits of the Abbey: the timeless fusion of the old and new. Even with Chase pulling into the back of the dorms, internet in Study Hall, and Tuck Dances, the Abbey somehow still retains a sense of order in its oldest traditions. The monks are still here, and we all go to church on Sundays. Father Julian may have arrived here over half a cen-tury ago, but he is still a person—he just has more stories to tell than we do. Now it’s just up to us to ask for them.

Dom JulianBy Doug LeboStaff Writer

Cont’d Page 3

SUMMER TRAVELS

PAGES 2-3

FAREWELL TO ST. BEDES

PAGE 4

NEW TO THE ABBEY

PAGE 8

Christopher OgdenBy Julia Slupska

Staff Writer

Page 2: The Beacon - October 2012

2

ON our first night in Salamanca, we ventured to the city’s main plaza, Plaza Mayor, and

found red and yellow streaming left and right. Along the perimeter, all of the restaurants had set up ginormous televisions in order to show the 2012 European Soccer Cup between Spain and Italy. In the middle, families, groups of friends, and children sat on the ground talking with excitement. Well before the first whistle, the Plaza became packed with Salamanca resi-dents ranging from all ages. Luckily, we found a couple of tables with a great view of a televi-sion to watch the game. Ninety or so minutes later, Spain had decisively defeated Italy 4-0. The Plaza quickly transformed, as everyone met in the middle waving their flags, dancing, and singing traditional songs of celebration. This memorable night affirmed the Plaza May-

or as our favorite place for the month to come. As the 2012-2013 school year started, twenty Abbey students walked onto campus with six to nine hard-earned college level credits from Spanish courses taken in Salamanca. Howev-er, this unique trip to Salamanca consisted of much more than learning inside of a classroom. Throughout the month of July, we learned and loved Spain’s culture, food, customs, tradi-tions, and of course the football (soccer). On weekends, we traveled to all different cities such as Madrid, Segovia, Granada, and even Lisbon and Fatima in Portugal as well. During the trip, we befriended many of the University students who took classes with us and appreci-ated the dedication of all of our professors. For many of us, a normal day involved one hour of culture class, four hours of detailed grammar

class, and one hour of conversation class. Sala-manca’s attractions such as the two cathedrals, its beautiful Plaza Mayor, the Roman bridge, and all of the various museums will be truly missed. The entirety of the 2012 Salamanca trip gratefully thanks Señor Guerenabarrena for his hard work to make this trip happen year after year and the University of Rhode Island for having Portsmouth Abbey students be a part of their program.

SUMMER

On February 11, 1858, Bernadette Soubirous went with her sister to collect firewood by the river near the Grotto of Massabielle. There she heard the sound of two gusts of wind and before her appeared a lady dressed in white with a blue sash. She wore a crown of twelve stars and a rose on each foot. The Lady came to Bernadette many times and eventually identi-fied herself with these words: Que soy era Immacu-lada Conceptiou. Bernadette visited the Lady eight-een times and during these meetings the Lady told Bernadette to do penance, to bathe in the waters, and to come in processions. To this very day people come to fulfill the call of Lourdes and to serve those who are in need of God’s love and care. This is what led Portsmouth Abbey pilgrims to enter into the special vocation of Lourdes.

In 1953, Ampleforth College took a group of fifty-three boys to Lourdes. Fr. Martin Haigh, of Ampleforth, believed that Lourdes was the perfect place to learn to serve others just as Christ did. Every year since, Ampleforth Hospitalité Notre Dame de Lourdes has traveled to Lourdes with students from the college, alumni, teachers, Ampleforth monks, and invited affiliates such as Portsmouth Abbey School students. People go to Lourdes to find peace in their lives, for about a week, by placing the needs of others in front of their own needs. Just as so many people are called to the service of others in Lourdes, so was Fr. Julian, Dr. Billings, Mrs. Weida, Kat Haines, Ann Gallagher, Hadley Matthews, Nick Medley, Garin Tracy, Fen Billings and myself.

Those who worked as helpers woke up early in the morning to walk over to the rented hospital floor

to dress the patients, bring them to breakfast, and pre-pare them for the morning’s liturgical services. We would find ourselves traveling down to the shrine for Mass in one of the chapels or at the Grotto, a trip to the baths on Thursday, confessions, or on Friday a healing service with the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick in the City of Saint-Pierre. In the after-noon, we would always enjoy time with our friends from England over a few laughs and a trip around Lourdes at night. The best way we would end the day was with a Grotte Trot—when your designated group would travel to the dimly lit Grotto of Lourdes at midnight for group prayer and meditation before retiring to bed at the Saint Rose hotel after a tiring day of work, but worth every minute.

I can only explain our experience in Lourdes as a conversion of spirit. Some may ask what that means, but most words would do no justice to the actual meaning that burns in the hearts of all those who spent a week with such wonderful people. It as-tounded us how someone with cancer could make our view of life change completely; how someone who could not speak was the joy of those who surround-ed him. The love that reigned in every one of those people molded our very being during our pilgrimage in Lourdes. During a Eucharistic Procession at 5:00 PM, I found myself in front of the Blessed Sacrament as He passed in front of me and as I went to kneel, an elderly woman grabbed my shoulder for me to aid her to kneel as I did the same. It was a feeling beyond all belief and it was my conversion of spirit. I knew that this was something that could only happen in Lourdes and it was one of the best moments of my life.

By Isabel KeoghStaff Writer

PRAGUE is now one of my top two favorite cities. Our school trip was a sort of “trial

run” so it was just Callie, Sarah, Ms. Swift and her friend Haven. Since there were so few of us we had much more flexibility. On most days we would go visit one or two museums or monu-ments followed by a few free hours where we could explore the city on our own. Even just be-ing surrounded by the harsh language was en-gaging. Of all the places we visited, some of my favorites were the Charles Bridge, Nelehoseves (the country palace of the Lobkowicz family), and the Jewish quarter. The Charles Bridge has one of the best views of the city, and the street vendors on the sides actually have really im-pressive artwork. When we went to the main palace on top of the hill, we met with a fairly recent Abbey graduate. She is now working in Prague and coordinates the showings of the Lobkowicz family estate. It was great to meet someone who knew some of the same teachers and could offer some perspective on life after

high school.Having Ms. Swift leading the trip taught all

of us so much about the architecture and period artwork that we never would have noticed on our own. Perhaps the most impressive architec-ture was that of the Prague Synagogue. It was pink, yellow, blue and green; an unusual color palate especially for the time period.

Our day trips were always the perfect length, we were never left bored walking around a museum. Most of our time was spent walking, and when we were not walking we were eating. Photography opportunities were amazing, the lighting was always great as was the weather. Everyday was sunny and mid- 70s. We took pictures all day, except for the time when Ms. Swift offered to take us on a shoot at five in the morning. The food consisted of lots of schnitzel and gnocchi. On top of that the Euro Cup overlapped with our trip, so we got to watch multiple games. They were displayed in the city center on huge projectors, when the games were on it was so crowded you could barely move. It was an amazing few days, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

The Miracle of LourdesBy Matthew Benevides

Staff Writer

PRAGUE

SalamancaBy Charlie Ramsden

Staff Writer

Page 3: The Beacon - October 2012

3SUMMER

lims. Though the film itself has not been post-ed online, and allegedly only an audience of about ten people has viewed it in its entirety, the clips depict Muhammad as a womaniz-ing fraud and essentially mock and demean the teachings and rituals of the Islamic faith. According to the actors, the film originally had nothing to do with Islam at all, and all derogatory messages were overdubbed after their work on the production was finished. The film was written and directed by Nakoula Basseley Nakoula (under the pseudonym Sam Bacile), an Egyptian-American Coptic Chris-tian living in California. Some sources claim that the non-profit Media for Christ arranged for the filming permits, although the president of that organization denies knowledge of any connection to the project. Versions of the vid-

eos translated in Arabic appeared online Sep-tember 9th, and after an Arab news show aired clips of the offensive material, the protests were believed to have begun.

It was not until September 20th that the White House released a statement confirm-ing that the Libyan attack, the only one that claimed American lives, might have been pre-meditated rather than provoked by the videos. The professionalism of the violence on the embassy had given rise to suspicions of more detailed planning and calculated strategy than could be expected from angry protesters. The announcement was spurred by director of the National Counter-Terrorism Center Matt Ol-sen’s September 19th statement that “they (the American victims in Benghazi) were killed in the course of a terrorist attack on our em-bassy… We are looking at indications that individuals involved in the attack may have

had connections to al-Qaeda or al-Qaeda’s af-filiates; in particular, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.” On September 15th, members of al-Qaeda, claimed that they were responsible for the attack, seeking vengeance for the as-sassination of one of their leaders, Abu Ya-hya al-Libi; he was killed in an American drone strike this June but his death was not confirmed until September. Libyan police ar-rested fifty people in connection with the at-tack. President Mohammed el-Megarif stated that foreigners from Mali and Algeria with al-Qaeda connections had infiltrated the na-tion months before, and were involved in the violence at the consulate.

This professional attack may or may not be related to the protests that took place in September, though perhaps it inspired some people to go to greater lengths in expressing their dissatisfaction than they would have

otherwise. The Cairo protests, as well as those that took place in Tunisia, Yemen, Su-dan, Pakistan, Greece, India and Indonesia, occurred in the context of years of aggression directed towards American embassies in the Middle East and Africa, and among Muslim populations around the world. Though Islam has suffered a great deal of ridicule in the past decade in particular, Muslims’ violent reaction to these offenses surely cannot el-evate them above the extreme terrorist sects of their religion in the eyes of Americans and all non-Muslims. Though ideally they should not have to prove the worth of their religion to anyone, considering the current attitude toward Islam in our country especially, these offended citizens could ultimately receive greater respect by voicing their frustrations in a more peaceful fashion.

Franz, Cont’d from Page 1

No light but the stars, no sound but the waves. Sometimes, one of the leaders

shined their red flashlight if they thought there were tracks ahead. The turtles could not see the red light well, so it did not diso-rient them. It could be nine, or midnight, or two in the morning. The patrols went out regularly with the tides, but I lost track of time when I was walking. All my focus was on my senses, looking down the beach for obstacles that would make me stumble. More than once I raised a foot over a crab hole or log that wasn’t there. Sometimes one of the leaders tripped over something, and cursed softly in Spanish. This was what I experienced on my trip to a sea turtle con-servation project in Costa Rica.

When I was not walking on the beach, I was sitting in the hatchery. If it was rain-ing, I sat down in the hut, because no one ever sat in a tower on the beach when there could be lightning. I also kept a large stick nearby for the ghost crabs; if they got near the nests, they would try to burrow into them and eat the eggs. I watched along the horizon for light. Sometimes, if I was on a watch early in the morning, the light came from the sunrise over the water. However, if I was on watch late at night, the light meant a poacher on the beach, and I hoped they would find nothing, hoped that all the eggs were safe below me.

The hatchery was arranged in a grid, with each nest occupying its own square. The program leaders showed us how to dig a nest during my training, and I saw two nests lined with eggs. The first nest was filled with ninety-six eggs that the leaders found on my first patrol. The second nest I dug myself, for the six eggs found on my second patrol. I had to dig a deep hole with my hands. Kneeling on the ground, I could lay my hand flat at the bottom of the nest and only my shoulder and the very top of my arm would be visible. The bottom of the nest was rounded out, and the eggs were carefully placed in one by one. The eggs were about the size and shape of a golf ball, but perfectly smooth. They had a flexible surface, and I handled them as gently as I could in order not to crush them. They felt extremely small and delicate in the palm of my hand. Once they were all placed in the nest, I picked up handful after handful of sand and let it fall gently through my fingers until the hole was filled. It was im-portant not to pack the sand in place or the baby turtles would not be able to dig their way out. After the nest was covered with sand, I placed a mesh net over it. Then the nest was complete, and I was free to stum-ble back to the house, fall into bed, and dream of sea turtles.

One of the Riches of Costa RicaBy Lauren ThompsonStaff Writer

By Kimberly MehrtensEditor-in-Chief

THIS past summer 39 Portsmouth Abbey students traveled with Mr. O’Connor and Brother Gregory for

a Humanities trip to Rome. On June 3, we all gathered at the turnaround near the art building to receive our art bags and get on a bus to the airport.

From the moment we stepped into Trastevere (the neighborhood we would be living in for the next two weeks), it was hot, with the sun shining down on us 24/7. However, Mr. O’Connor soon showed us one of the greatest things about Rome: their aqueduct system. On almost every street there was some form of perpetu-ally running water fountain, to refill a water bottle or take a sip as you walked by. This system is an ancient part of Rome and one afternoon, on our last week, we were actually able to go into one of the many dark aque-ducts in the city.

Besides the hot weather, this trip centered a lot on

walking and public transportation. Almost any site of interest in Rome was open for viewing, if you were game for walking. From the moment our bus parked at the hostel we would be living in, we dropped off our bags and began walking around the neighborhood for a guided tour with Mr. O’Connor. We soon discovered that the best gelato and the best pizza place were all in walking distance! As was the Colosseum—a 30-40 minute endeavor from Trastevere depending on how often you stopped (not often). However, this persever-ing attitude to get where you wanted no matter what was integral to this trip. Because of this constant readiness for new experiences, we were able to travel to an amaz-ing number of churches, which featured views like the priceless works of Bernini and 2-dimensional ceilings that appeared to be jutting up into the sky.

As I mentioned, we had the option to go to the Colosseum. By far, this is one of my favorite memories of Rome. The day was hot—almost as hot as the day we went on the Spanish Steps—and we had to wait in

line for 20 minutes or more. However, as we waited by drawing in our sketchpads and goofing around, we were soon struck by the timelessness of the Colosseum. Sure, it was old and damaged, but this was where they had mock naval battles! An elderly South African couple behind us shared our enthusiasm. We took many pictures that day and bought quite a few souvenirs at the gift shop, but it’s hard to show the true greatness we all felt inside the Colosseum.

I can never forget the experiences I have had in Rome. Thanks to Brother Gregory, I can say I have gilded a sketchbook and drawn in the streets of Rome. Thanks to Mr. Connell, our tour guide, I know that the head statue in the corner of the vast church was a price-less Bernini worth more than I could ever imagine. And finally, thanks to Mr. O’Connor and Mrs. O’Connor, I had the opportunity to spend two weeks in a city as historically and artistically rich as Rome. This was truly the best summer ever.

ROME

Page 4: The Beacon - October 2012

4

FOR Abbey students, simply mentioning Humanities evokes memories of rich class

discussions, fascinating books, and countless hours of reading. This class dominates the Fourth Form year, and is equally renowned for its demanding workload and the profound insights acquired by students. The Humani-ties course meets eight times a week—twice as much as any other course. Although it takes up two class periods, it replaces three other class-es: English, History, and Christian Doctrine. The class is taught by a team of two teachers,

and consists of seminars, lectures, writing sec-tions, and plenary. One instructor focuses on literature, while the other delves into history, philosophy, and theology. Despite these divi-sions, there is considerable overlap among the sections.

The Humanities curriculum includes St. Augustine’s Confessions, Rene Descartes’ Dis-course on Method, and Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. Some have questioned whether fourth formers are ready for such heavy books. Father Paschal noted that regardless of the age

of the reader, the most important thing is that “what you learn from great books is humil-ity.” After reading Pascal’s Pensees or Milton’s Paradise Lost, students must realize that they have much more to learn. Father Paschal sug-gested that students read these books repeated-ly throughout their lives, because new insights can be revealed each time a great book is read.

Mr. Zelden adds that, at first, he was “a skeptic” as to whether Fourth Formers could handle such a course, but happy to find that he was wrong. Mr. Zelden also said, “Fourth Form year is the most pure.” Fourth Formers have already learned the ropes during fresh-man year, but are not yet mired in the stress caused by the daunting college process. He also adds that while an older audience will certainly have a more sophisticated interpretation of a book such as Dante’s Inferno, younger students should still read these books as long as they continue to reread them later in life. As an ex-ample, Mr. Zelden pointed out that he has read Dante’s Inferno almost ten times now. Each time he reads it, he still gets a “wow” feeling. Moreover, he has observed that, “students of-ten rise to the occasion.” When he first taught the challenging Paradise Lost, he simply “let Milton reach the students,” and was amazed at what the students got out of it. However, Milton cannot reach the students if they do not remain open-minded. Younger students are often more candid than older students, and the success of the class is contingent upon this. They need to actively learn and actually read the books; they must avoid the pernicious SparkNotes at all costs.

What truly sets Humanities apart is the integration of many subjects, including litera-ture, history, philosophy, and theology, into one class. Both Mr. Zelden and Father Paschal ob-served that the students seem to enjoy the expe-rience. Father Paschal adds that with the right team of teachers, these various subjects en-hance each other immensely. Mr. Zelden appre-ciates how students begin to connect subjects that they thought were completely separate. In addition, he sees how the class tells the story of Western Civilization through various voices. He notes that as with all Abbey classes, in Hu-manities, something very significant is at stake. Mr. Zelden also said that it was unique that books like More’s Utopia and Dante’s Inferno could be read as a literary story, a political trea-tise, a philosophical discourse, and a theologi-cal work. Mr. Zelden considered the formation of a United States Humanities, where the class could read the Constitution, The Federalist Papers, Tocqueville’s Democracy in America, along with works by Melville, Thoreau, and Emerson. He adds that the United States has a rich tradition of literature, politics, and philoso-phy that would be fascinating to explore.

The Humanities course is undoubtedly a fa-vorite among students. The opportunity to dis-cuss the big ideas that formed the world we live in today is an incredible one. However, teachers also enjoy the class. For example, Mr. Zelden still loves to teach Humanities, and to witness the “light bulbs go off” in the minds of students. However, as Father Paschal said, the most im-portant part of Humanities is “to transform the person.”

ABBEY LIFE

Farewell to St. BedesBy Justin Mistikawy and Fletcher BoninStaff Writers

For us it was everything. It was a safe haven, it was family, and it was pride. It was the law-

less outskirts of the campus. It was the forgery of brotherhood and an assembly of fraternity. It was a place where dreams could come true, held together by protein powder and chewing gum. It was St. Bede’s and it was our dorm.

The darkness either comes from the imposing shadow of St. Martins or the rarely working elec-tricity within the dorm. The peeling brown paint was complemented by the nearly functioning burgundy doors. The broken windows provided for great ventilation.

The grass in the courtyard was a spectacular shade of yellow, and the soil unfruitful. It was no biblical land of milk and honey. The fountain in the middle was missing, but our love for the dorm wasn’t.

The distinct one-story, square shape of our dorm drove us together by force, but we stayed there by choice. With spotty electricity and shod-dy computers we needed each other. Not only for entertainment, or warmth, but for a sense of place. Upon walking in, one might see such char-acters as Rob Suscy shaking the paper thin walls with shrieks of “Mortal Kombat.” Look up and you might see Nick Medley climbing some splin-

tering rafter. P-Bar grazed outside, throwing Fris-bees to himself, and next to him the Andrew “The Lowcat” Lowis was on the prowl. One glimpse into a room and you could spot Joe Yates, hard at work. Starky juked, sprinted, and rolled during a rousing game of Bede’s football. He was Tebow-esque in our own private Gillette Stadium. These people fueled the fire of our dorm. We and the legendary Bedesmen before us built the soul that gave the dorm its true meaning. It was more than a place to go during conference, it was a place to belong.

We would like to take this time to thank Mr. Dolan, and Ms. Miller. Or as we know them, “Mom and Dad.” Mr. Dolan taught us how to be men, Bedesmen. And Ms. Miller fostered a hospitable zone feeding the hungry day students with treats woven with the finest ingredients and love and butter. Despite the dorm’s exterior, the interior was always neat and clean. Thank you Mr. Barbosa. These people were the reason we chanted BEDES at assemblies. Because dorms are built with people, not materials.

Gone are the days where we could lounge on the broken furniture that littered the back common room. The sun has set on our foosball tournaments. A silence fills the void left by Will Shaw’s European techno that once shook our two hallways. The dorm may be gone, but like a Phoenix, the spirit will rise again.

Ode to St. MartinsBy Kilian White

Staff Writer

Shall I compare thee to the other dorms?

Thou art more lovely than their aged forms.

Ill-use makes old abruptly all the rest,

But Martin’s you are new and thus the best.

What’s more you have a far superior view,

Albeit most remote a house you are ‘tis true.

Just because your paint drops off the walls,

Renders not you less than other halls.

And though we still know your issues to be manifold,

We sleep sound at night knowing at least you’re not so old.

And so we stand affirmed you are superior,

And so our peers must know they are inferior.

Greek ClassBy Michelle MehrtensEditor-in-Chief

It usually happens in the fall. We are sitting in the classroom, discussing last night’s homework with Mr. Micheletti, when a student barges in. This student stares at us, pauses, and then says, “Wait, is this a class?” We all nod our heads. “This is Greek class,” one of us explains. “Oh. Sorry.” The student leaves, but not before glancing back one last time in confusion and amusement.

Kelsi Harper, Kilian White, and I are in our third year of Greek. We are the original triumvirate of a class that translates ancient texts and engages in heated philosophical discussions. Mr. Micheletti teaches the class, explaining grammar rules and how to pronounce obscure vocabulary. Greek is a

complex, challenging language with roots in many modern-day languages. Because of this course, we know the derivatives be-hind “anthropology” and “hypnosis”, and can figure out the meanings behind words

like thanatosis and iconoclastic. Ancient Greek is like dinosaurs and zombies. They may be dead, but they are undeniably awe-some.

Greek class encourages philosophical

discussion and social commentary. Dur-ing these past few months, we have been translating Plato’s Apology and will even-tually move onto Homer. Reading these works has provided stimulating debate top-ics, such as the influence of social media in the United States and the legality of the death penalty, or whether Socrates was cor-rect and “the unexamined life is not worth living”. We are able to gain a stronger grip on the text through these discussions, and apply their insights into our work. Being able to translate a well-known story in its original language also reveals nuances lost in the modern-day version.

After class, we exit the room to face a large group of students, shuffling their feet and waiting to enter. “There were only three kids in there,” someone whispers. “They take Greek,” another explains. A different student glances at us. “That is so weird.”

HumanitiesBy Timothy CunninghamStaff Writer

Page 5: The Beacon - October 2012

5ABBEY LIFE

From now on, no student will ever dread taking exams in the SLH. Now called the

RLH, the classroom is a beautiful and com-fortable environment, from the cushioned revolving chairs to the sturdy desks. The of-ficial name of this newly renovated room is The John M. and Prudence S. Regan, Jr. Lecture Hall. The renovations were funded by The Regan Family—specifically Mr. and

Mrs. Regan, who were the parents of John “Mac” ’68, Peter ’71, and Chris ’73, and the grandparents of Caroline ’07. The Regan’s hope was that, by providing the funding for the Lecture Hall, students and faculty would be able to better enjoy classes with the im-proved lighting, seating, and technology. Stu-dents have commented on the “convenient chairs” and the “cutting-edge feel” of the new

and improved classroom. Mr. Burke, head of the alumni department at Portsmouth Ab-bey School, says that “the renovated lecture hall is spectacular. I hope that all of us who are in the Regan Lecture Hall for a meeting, class or presentation appreciate the space and the generosity and the kindness that made the renovation possible.” If you have the pleas-ure of taking a class or taking an exam in the

beautifully renovated lecture hall try not to get lost in the groovy acoustic wall or the wavy designs. There is a lot of really interesting lit-tle things that make the RLH a wonderful new part of our community. If you have a chance go check it out.

The Regan Lecture Hall By Rachel SousaStaff Writer

Page 6: The Beacon - October 2012

6

Boys’ Varsity GolfBy Amy HuangStaff Writer

Although the boys’ varsity golf team lost a number of out-standing players from last year, the team has had a success-ful start of this season with 5:1 over Landmark School. Yet the following two losses indicate that the golfers need more experience in their games. Led by Garin Tracy, a returning 4-year veteran and captain, the Abbey golfers have showed great effort in the team. Fourth Former Will Hall is playing #1 and has had a great start to the year; he is on the way to be-coming one of the top golfers in the league. Jake Gudioan, a returning player, has been starting every match as well. New to the Abbey and the team are Steve Vye, Ross Powell and George Sturgess. The golfers look forward to a strong season this year!

Cross CountryBy Doug LeboStaff Writer

Bolstered by many new additions to the team, Cross Country has seen some amazing things during the opening weeks

of a good season. For the boys, captain Joe Yates and returning junior Sean McDonough lead the front pack, as usual, and shattered their times from last year. Nick Medley has returned from an injury better and faster than ever, and has quickly risen from a middle-pack JV runner to

being in the top five. Far from being novices to cross-country, newcomers to the team Justin Mistakawy and Jon Campau fill out the upper crust boys’ varsity team.

For the girls, captains Hadley Matthews and Claire Gralton, along with returners Maria Luisa Ruiz, Allison Bolles, and

Claire Ritch fill out the top five, and are all working to return their times to last year’s best. Three freshmen – Zoe Butler, Claire Davidson, and Gabby Blaine – fall in right behind the returning top five, and have surpassed expectations for their first Abbey season.

Girls’ Varsity SoccerBy Mossiah Kouassi-BrouStaff Writer

Despite some setbacks last year, the girls’ varsity soccer had an impressive start this season, coming up with a win for its first game. Though the team later suffered several losses, strong sixth form leaders are pushing the team towards greatness and remain optimistic for this fall. The team has made great progress since the beginning of the season under Coach O’Connor and As-sistant Coach Michelletti. Newcomers have greatly enhanced the efforts, with a strong defense. Returning players, Kelley Oliveira and Annie Kirscht are valuable assets with Kelley as a striker, scoring 5 beautiful goals in one game, and Annie seemingly everywhere at once on the field. Although several of the players have suffered injuries, the girls are working hard to improve their skills and win our few remaining games, in the hopes of making it to the EILs.

SPORTS

Page 7: The Beacon - October 2012

7

Even though we all know that study hall is meant to be a two hour span of silence to nurture a working environment, to say that it is free from all distractions is entirely untrue. The ticking of your roommate’s alarm clock, the sound of someone rapidly punching at a keyboard, the clattering of a fallen pencil—unless you’ve been endowed with a bomb-proof attention span, even the smallest thing can draw your mind away from your work. This is where music comes in. We’ve all experienced that moment where we plug our headphones in and start working and suddenly five songs pass and you do not remember listening to any of them. Music becomes that white noise in the background that isolates your mind away from all the little ambient sounds that accompany the quiet.

Some people argue against this, saying that music becomes a larger distraction than anything else, thus causing a decline in the quality of the work being done. However,

for a lot of people, it is not the music that causes their work while studying to decline, but a lack of interest or motivation. When you are discontent with having to sit there like a robot and crank out your homework for two hours, ultimately your productivity declines. If we had music during study hall, I know that personally I would get significantly more work done. It is a simple principle: happy people are more productive.

Music also has the ability to affect our memory, and often we associate memories with the music in the background. We can all remember when we were little kids and they would teach us the alphabet in the form of a song or the rhyme about Columbus sailing the ocean blue in 1492. This is because music makes learning easier; the brain remembers things with rhythm and beat more efficiently than just plain words without any melody at all. For people who have difficulty remembering those tricky recitations imagine

putting the words of that recitation to the beat of your favorite song. Even though you will not be able to recite it in harmony, at least you will have the words down.

Also, we cannot forget that we are going through our adolescence in a very technological era, and that when we leave Portsmouth Abbey, there won’t be any more study hall. We won’t have house-parents pacing the halls waiting to snatch away anything that’s distracting us. We will have noisy roommates, and friends constantly drawing us away from our work, and in the bustle of the college dorm music will be our companion to block out the rest of the world. Music has become a tool to block distractions more than anything else. And to be quite frank, now that they have given us the internet during study-hall, Facebook and Twitter and Tumblr are far more distracting than listening to music could ever be. At least with music, you can get something done, whereas if you sit on one of those sites for an

hour, you will literally accomplish nothing. The reality is that the minute we enter

college we are going to do our work with our headphones on, and Portsmouth Abbey’s main goal, after all, is to prepare us for college. Plenty of intelligent students here at the Abbey listen to their music when they study outside of the eight-to-ten block, and their work still gets done in an acceptable fashion, and they still get the good grades expected of them.

This year they started trusting us to get our work done with the infinite distraction of the internet, it only seems fair that they should start trusting us to get our work done with music again as well.

Ping pong clubClass of 2013

Snap ChatThe Facebook

The view from Martin’sAppleTI-89

Starting quarterbacksGetting into college

Gangnam StyleMiley and Liam

Internet during study hallSummer 2012

JortzClass of 2012InstagramSchool IDsThe view from Brigid’sSamsungTI-NspireSports injuriesThe Common AppCall Me MaybeTom and Katie HolmesStudy HallFall term

Dear AbbeyDear Abbey,

I just turned eighteen, and now it’s time for me to vote. Unfortunately, after living in the Portsmouth Abbey fishbowl for so long, I have absolutely no idea what’s going on in the presidential campaign. I don’t even know which is the right wing or the left wing. Who should I vote for? Please help!

Sincerely,The Elephant/Donkey in the Room

Dear Directionally Confused,

As I am bound by my editors to be politically correct all the time, I can’t necessarily tell you who to vote for. It depends largely upon your moral compass (or lack thereof for that matter), and no matter which side you pick you can never be “right”—but in the eyes of your opposition you will most definitely always be wrong. Even when you think you’re right, you’re wrong. Just let that sink in for a second there. Welcome to politics. Essentially, what you do is pick the evil you like more, so to speak. When you boil it down to the basics, selecting a presidential candidate this year is a lot like playing the game ‘Would You Rather?’ Would you rather go to college or… get a job? And you can only choose one. It’s up to you. Happy voting!

Politically Ambiguous,Abbey

There really is only one question to ask about internet during study hall, and it seems to be difficult to answer: Is having internet access during a designated study time a good thing or a bad thing? This issue seems to have been made much more complicated than it really is. I have heard various opinions from both students and teachers, and it appears that the main focus point is the possibility of distrac-tion. There you are working on a Lab report, when your mind starts to wander. Before you know it, your internet browser is open and you’re scrolling down your news feed on Facebook. Or you intend to check your school e-mail, and instead you’re looking at LOLCats. This is not a problem, I assure you.

I don’t mean to say that you should be on Facebook during study hall. I’m saying that having internet access denied is unrealistic. The internet is here to stay, it’s going to be a permanent distraction, and everyone has to learn to deal with it. Wherever you end up after Portsmouth Abbey, you will have internet access. It will always be there to help you squander your time when you need to get work done. Many of us are at the age where we can legally drive, and if we are old enough and mature enough to drive a car down a highway at 65 miles an hour, I hope we can handle the distraction of the internet for two hours during study hall.

What’s Hot /What’s NotBy Nicholas DeLieto

Staff Writer

TRENDS

Perks of MusicBy Em MagnificoStaff Writer

Internet During Study HallBy Winslow WawroStaff Writer

HOTNOT

Page 8: The Beacon - October 2012

8 NEW TO THE ABBEY

Mr. Adam CardBy Jake KimStaff Writer

This winter, the sport of wrestling re-turns to Portsmouth Abbey School. It

will be run by our new Computer Science teacher Mr. Card. He looks like a per-fect match for the wrestling coach. Tall, physically imposing, and calmly confi-dent, it doesn’t take a giant leap of imagi-nation to see him crushing an opponent in the ring. However, it wasn’t always this way. His wrestling career began in sev-enth grade at the urging of his mother, who was concerned about his weight. It may shock you to find out that he wasn’t a star from the first day. In fact, he stunk. He was one of the worst kids on the team, but he could not have cared less. Despite his initial lack of skill, he saw something in the sport that naturally attracted him. The more he was challenged, the more he responded. He realized that to succeed he had to put his best foot forward and out-work anyone in his way. “It’s either 100% or 0%” he says, “You have to give it your all.” So he fell in love with the sport, worked hard off-season at wrestling camps over the summer, and by the time he was a senior he became the captain of his high school team. Mr. Card has spent a very long time thinking about starting this program from the ground up. Most of the kids won’t have any wrestling ex-perience. Mr. Card’s short-term goals are to get some matches won, and see some boys on the podium. He also presses the importance of a strong team spirit in this individualistic sport. He hopes for kids that may be “an inch too short or a pound too light,” and says he absolutely does not care about physical ability or athletic experience, as long as they are willing to put their whole selves out on the mat and work harder than they have ever worked before. Regardless of who you are in terms of muscle mass, if you are a hard worker Mr. Card wants you on the team!

Ms. Kathleen BehanBy Meredith HoranStaff Writer

One of the newest faces around cam-pus is Ms. Behan, who graduated

from the Abbey in 2008. As a student, she loved the feel of the school, including the faculty and student relationships, spur-ring her to come back. Ms. Behan still enjoys these relationships, and says that it is not that different being a teacher. Origi-nally, she knew that she wanted to return to the Abbey, but not necessarily in a teaching capacity. Her dedication as class agent made her see herself working in ad-ministration or development. In the past, she has participated in phone-a-thons for the Abbey, and has definitely stayed con-nected. As the new Spanish teacher, she now lives in an apartment in St. Bede’s.

When asked if she could change any-thing about her time at the Abbey, Ms. Be-han said she would choose to be a board-er. While a student, she was Athlete of the Week, captain of soccer and basketball (she played on varsity all four years), and a tri-varsity athlete. Her favorite teach-ers were Señor and Mr. O’Connor. She graduated from Providence College last spring, with a major in Spanish. Her fa-vorite food is her mom’s chicken Caesar salad, and her favorite place in the world (other than the Abbey) is Providence Col-lege. In terms of movies, she loves both Bridesmaids and Remember the Titans.

Mr. Kevin CalistoBy Charlie RamsdenStaff Writer

For his first year at Portsmouth Abbey, Mr. Calisto is teaching Fundamen-

tals of Art, Visual Arts, and Advanced Arts. Originally residing in Bristol R.I, he heard about the Abbey from two cousins who graduated from the school. Mr. Cal-isto has highly enjoyed the community, small class sizes, and his own classroom. Currently, he lives in St. Hugh’s as one of three house-parents. House-parenting forty-three third formers was initially overwhelming, but getting to know indi-viduals and the community of the dorm made it much easier. When asked what made him decide to become a teacher, Mr. Calisto responded that he had an in-fluential art teacher in high school, and that he personally believes not only in making his own artwork, but also in shar-ing and teaching art to others.

Mr. Calisto enters this teaching posi-tion highly qualified with a BFA Educa-tion in painting and a minor in art history from the College of Saint Rose, Albany, and also a Master’s degree in drawing from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. Along with teaching, Mr. Calisto coaches Boys’ Varsity Soccer, and will coach the Boys’ Tennis team in the spring. Outside of the classroom, Mr. Calisto’s hobbies include cooking, bak-ing, tennis, creating art, and running. His favorite TV show is Grey’s Anatomy, and his favorite movie is Inception. Mr. Cal-isto specializes in painting and drawing.

Be sure to check out his blog where many of his works are displayed: http://kevincalisto.blogspot.com/

Mr. Jeff KerrBy Hannah NilesStaff Writer

By now, many of us recognize Mr. Kerr as the man with the voice of an

angel that we have seen and heard sing-ing at mass. Mr. Kerr is responsible for everything related to music at the Abbey, including Schola, several other music classes, the two a cappella groups, the chorus, the orchestra, jazz band, the drum circle, and more. He previously taught in eastern Connecticut making this his nine-teenth year of teaching.

Mr. Kerr’s decision to come to the Ab-bey was mostly due to one of our recently graduated fellows, Jessie Bessinger. Jes-sie was a family friend of the Kerrs’ and kept him informed as to how the perform-ing arts program was growing. Mr. Kerr was particularly attracted by the Abbey’s recent efforts to expand its program and having already successfully developed two music programs at other schools, he is looking to do the same here at the Ab-bey. He is most excited by the enthusiasm within the student body. This is a neces-sary ingredient for success in any envi-ronment, particularly the arts. Mr. Kerr is also exploring ways to give students opportunities to perform competitively with other students from throughout the state. His greatest challenge for this year is catering to time constraints. Given that all of the ensembles are optional, extra time must be set aside from already hectic schedules to rehearse. Nonetheless, Mr. Kerr says that the students’ willingness to make the time and put in effort is most encouraging.

Mr. Kerr is originally from Walpole, Massachusetts. He is classically trained and primarily focuses on performing with voice. He was a part of the Tangle-wood Festival Chorus which performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra for years. Mr. Kerr has a wife, Lisa and two children- a daughter, Emma, in fifth grade and a son, Caellum, who is a third former at the Abbey. Mr. Kerr is already a posi-tive presence on campus. We are happy to have him, along with his family, as a part of the Abbey community.

Page 9: The Beacon - October 2012

9ENTERTAINMENT

A Sense of CommunityBy Michelle MehrtensEditor-in-Chief

At least once a year, I find a television show that I com-pletely and irrevocably love. I will fight to the death for this show, defend it from critics, and fantasize about its seasons stretching on for eternity (yet still maintaining its original shine and creativity). Inevitably, though, the epi-sodes end, or the characters grow lackluster, and I believe that this is it. I will never find a show as good as the one I just watched. However, this time I have truly discovered something fantastic—and, guys, this is the one.

Community, created by Dan Harmon, is delightfully bizarre and imaginative. It follows the lives of a group of students at a community college called Greendale. The ringleader is Jeff Winger, a former lawyer fired for forging his bachelor’s degree. Attracted to a student named Britta Perry, he creates a fake study group in order to meet with her again. To Jeff’s chagrin, real students arrive for the study session—including Annie Edison, a perky perfec-tionist; Troy Barnes, a former high school football star; Shirley Bennett, a Christian single mother; Pierce Haw-thorne, a wealthy, grumbling old man; and Abed Nadir, a film addict who struggles to interact with others. It is immediately clear that each character has issues. It is also immediately clear that their year at Greendale is going to be hilarious.

Community is quirky, innovative, and very self-aware. Abed sees the world in terms of pop culture, TV shows, and films; he frequently compares the group’s misadven-tures to film—both acknowledging and embracing story-telling clichés. In one episode, Annie loses her pen and manically declares that they will not leave the library until they find it. Abed aptly—and cleverly—notes, “This is a bottle episode.” Bottle episodes are filmed at a minimal cost, usually regulating scenes to one location—in this case, the library. The show winks at the audience, openly recognizing its own actions—creating a world where the characters comment upon their own lives with as much awareness as the audience. Community also subverts cli-chés; the “will they or won’t they?” relationship between Jeff and Britta is turned on its head in the season one fi-nale. Nothing is as it seems—the writers of the show make sure of that.

Many different episodes have paid homages to well-known films. “Modern Warfare”, which centered on a massive game of paintball on the school campus, spoofs dramatic action movies. Another gem is “Pillows and Blankets”, which parodies Ken Burns’ documentary, The Civil War; Troy leads the soldiers (or students) of Blan-ketsburg against Abed’s Pillowtown into dramatic battles with contemplative voiceovers. In “Digital Estate Plan-

ning”, the group spends almost their entire time as vide-ogame characters in an antiquated 90’s videogame created by Pierce’s father.

The relationships among the characters are heartfelt, troubling, hysterical, and realistic. One of the highlights of the show is the friendship between Abed and Troy. They tend to act like little kids, excited to build pillow forts and act out movie scenes. But they are also always prepared to support each other. They do not feel compelled to con-stantly assert their masculinity. As a result, they are not ashamed or embarrassed by their close friendship, and their enthusiasm is refreshing.

Britta is someone who consistently tries to do good and consistently messes everything up. She wants to be better than she is, but sometimes questions whether she wants to act selfless for others, or because she wants to feel superior to everyone else. Her struggle is honest, open, and sidesplitting. In fact, the group turns her name into a verb synonymous with making mistakes: “Don’t ‘Britta’ it!” Annie is an overachiever, and the only one who actu-ally seems to do her homework. Her attempts to bring out the best in everyone make her Pierce’s “favorite” of the group, although Jeff accuses her of employing such skills for manipulation. When she attempts to gain sympathy, Jeff warns the others, “Now she is going to make the Dis-

ney face.” Shirley is the “grown-up” of the group, a woman who

raises two sons while attending school at the same time. She is someone who deeply cares about her faith, yet tends to use her beliefs to guilt others into doing the right thing. However, her guilt-tripping becomes that much funnier when she realizes its power and chooses to wield it like a weapon.

Pierce, played by Chevy Chase, constantly speaks in an offensive, politically incorrect manner. At the age of 65, he enrolls in Greendale out of boredom, and tries to keep up with the group as much as he can. His abrasive personality usually makes him difficult to like. However, the moments where he reveals how completely oblivious he is of modern pop culture are hysterical.

Jeff, the almighty cynic of the study group, secretly cares for his friends—and, at times, realizes how much he actually needs them. Although the protagonist, he is far from the lynchpin of the group. Each character contributes to these friendships, and each of them experiences highs and lows. They are all just trying to survive the wackiness of Greendale and figure out what exactly they want to do with their lives. They are all a little broken, a little unsure, but always hilarious, always heartfelt, and always ready to lend each other a hand.

FOR those of you ‘new to Who,’ Doc-tor Who is the amazing BBC science

fiction TV show that catalogues the adven-tures of The Doctor, a quirky time traveler from space and his companions, whom he picks up along the way (don’t be alarmed, it’s not as nerdy as you think!). His time machine is called the TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space), which is forever disguised as a blue police callbox due to a malfunction of its camouflaging technology. And, as every character ex-claims once he or she steps into it, “It’s big-

ger on the inside!” The original series ran from 1963-1989, and was revived in 2005 for the betterment of all society. The first half of season seven just ended in October.

Comedy fuels the show, along with heart-wrenching storylines and moments of gravity. The show speaks to the human-ity of its viewers and brings up genuine questions we need to ask ourselves. This is done in a very clever way thanks to the showrunner, Stephen Moffat, who employs unexpected plot twists—never allowing for one second of monotony.

The regeneration quality of The Doctor allows him to escape death by transform-ing into a new body and personality. Along with the cyclical nature of his friends, this maintains the excellent longevity of the show.” How can this be? Wouldn’t that be horrible?” you may ask? Well, dear reader, the constant change of actors allows for multiple personalities—instead of a long, drawn-out show which uses a handful of actors who become too old for the charac-ters they play (*cough cough* Glee). If you don’t like one, don’t worry, someone new will enter in a few seasons. On the other hand, once you fall in love with specific characters, there is only a limited time be-fore they have to leave you. This may com-

pel you to kneel at the TV, crying and beg-ging for them to come back. But then you get over it, because Moffat has granted you with another awesome character to fill the void in your heart.

When traveling either into the past or future, The Doctor encounters enemies no matter where he goes. Monsters he must battle range from Daleks, robotic creatures that are determined to extinguish all life forms, to Weeping Angels, seemingly in-nocent statues of angels that move to attack when you aren’t looking at them.Doctor Who is most highly recommended for those who want to be happy. Geronimo!

Call the Doctor: The New Doctor WhoBy Kelsi HarperStaff Writer

Page 10: The Beacon - October 2012

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David M. Brower Gerrard Hanly Justin Mistikawy Peter Vergara Mr. and Mrs. OgdenlAyOuT EdiTOr Emma Butler Kelsi Harper Melody Mo Stephen Vye

MinJae (Steve) Cho Zoe Butler Meredith Horan Helen Nelson Yazhen (Alex) Wang Melanie Camacho Xuanqing (Amy) Huang Hannah Niles Winslow Wawro

PHOTO EdiTOr Minqian Chen Liam Kelly Rory O'Connor Kilian White HyungSeok (Toby) Yun Seha Choi Isabel Keogh Madeleine O'Shea Patrick Wilks

Tim Cunningham Mary-Frances Kielb Paulina Power Yanqi Zhang fACulTy AdvisOr Siddharth D'Silva Jake Kim Peter Russell Annie Zhao Mr. Cowan Nicholas DeLieto Mossiah Kouassi-Brou Patrick Ruvane

Lucy Ferry Douglas Lebo Erin Shaw Eden Franz JooSeung Lee Brigid Shea

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